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This case explores reasons for Blackstone Alternative Asset Management's (BAAM's) growth from 2007-2013, a time when the overall fund of hedge funds industry contracted substantially. Additionally, the case analyzes evolving business models and value propositions within the fund of hedge funds industry. J. Tomilson Hill, CEO of BAAM and Vice-Chairman of The Blackstone Group, is the protagonist. At the time of the case, BAAM was considering two potential directions for future growth: 1) providing hedge fund products for the defined contribution pension space, and 2) beginning direct internal "manufacturing" of investments. In the context of the current fund of hedge funds industry, the case considers challenges and opportunities for these potential new areas for growth.

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In late December 2011, Hayman Capital founder and portfolio manager Kyle Bass was reviewing Japanese government budget projections for 2012. The projections appeared contrary to Hayman Capital's views on Japan, where the fund had built a bearish position. Japan had the world's highest debt burden, whether expressed as a percentage of GDP or government revenue. Guided by recent global events, Bass forecast that Japan would soon experience increases in interest rates, a devaluation of the currency, and eventually, a restructuring of the country's debt.

learning objective:

Betting against the bubble. To understand the formulation of macro-investing strategies.

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Once a sleepy old boys' club, the U.S. financial sector is now a dynamic and growing business that attracts the best and the brightest. It is tempting to declare the industry a roaring success. But its purpose is to serve the needs of U.S. households and firms, and by this standard its performance has been mixed. The sector's growth has been beneficial for U.S. corporations, which enjoy ready access to the deepest capital markets in the world. Venture capital, for example, and the public equity markets that support it, has channeled money to innovative ideas that have transformed industries and generated new ones. The rest of the economy, however, has not been well served by the financial sector's boom. First, the shift from deposit-based banking to a market-based "shadow banking" system, without adequate regulatory adjustments, has left the financial system vulnerable to crisis. Second, trillions of dollars have been steered into residential real estate and away from more productive investments. Third, the cost of professional investment management is too high, which drains talent from other industries. The financial sector could promote the health and competitiveness of the U.S. economy by increasing capital and liquidity requirements, reorienting the discussion around housing finance reform from keeping mortgage credit cheap to ensuring financial stability, and instituting measures that compel asset managers to compete on the true value of the services they provide.

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Case explores the pricing of gold in 2011. Is the pricing justified or are we in a speculative bubble? What data are useful in determining a view on this question?

learning objective:

Explore the pricing of gold in 2011. Gold has appreciated in price by several hundred percent since 2000. The case proposes views on either side of the debate as to whether the current price of gold is justified.

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Rehan Jaffer, the founder of hedge fund H Partners, is considering what to do with his investment in Six Flags. H Partners had invested a significant amount of the firm's capital in the senior bonds of U.S.-based Six Flags, following that company's bankruptcy filing.

learning objective:

To study post-reorganization equities and bankruptcy dynamics. Investor behavior around distress can cause potential price dislocations. As companies become distressed, certain lenders who had acquired a company's loans at par might be able to hold the debt once it had defaulted. This creates opportunities for more flexible investors.

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